Hydraulic salt water conversion unit



Sept. 414, J. G. nAvlAu 3,206,330' nmawnrcslmnfrmn CONVERSION UNIT Inudi-gwen 1o, 1960 a ATTORNEY 3,206,380 L HYDRAULIC SALT WATERCONVERSION UNIT Jerome G. Daviau, 50 Main St., Waterville, Maine FiledMai', 10, 1960, Ser. No. 14,157

6 Claims. (Cl. 202--185) This invention relates to the desalination ofwater, for example thevextraction of fresh water from saltwater,

bracksh and swamp waters, for the purpose of render-V ing potable theseotherwise unsuitable sources of water.

The process of this invention is based on variable low to atmosphericpressured vaporization, and the apparatus provided is simple inconstruction and operation, ecient and durable in use, inexpensive tomanufacture and operate for the purposes above stated.

The present invention employs anew method of extracting vapors and gasesfro'ma chamber in order to lower itspressure.. This is achieved by meansof a pipe traversing j thelength of thechamber, the lower side lof whichpipeis perforated in order to allow intrusion with small roundapertures,opening inside the pipe justl United safes ,Patent o yso the pressureobtained.` More than one of these pipes i' may be used ifv desired.

In this same chamber is an incoming flow of salt water, drawn in by thelow pressure attained in the chamber, which salt water is sprayed in thechamber through small apertures. The rest of the device as appears inthe drawing indicates an arrangement or combination of parts dictated bythermal considerations all of which will be apparent to those skilled inthe art.

With the above and other objectives and advantages in view thisinvention consists of novel details of construction, arrangement andcombination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed andillustrated in'the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE' 1 is a front elevational sectional view ofthe apparatus of thepresent invention showing and disv lplaying the manner of arrangementand combination of parts and details of construction; and

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view alsov in section of theapparatus'of FlGURE l showing the operation and construction of thehydrofoil in greater detail. l

Referring more in detail to the drawing, FIGURE 1,

the reference numeral 1 shows apipe through which is v inside of 8,develops low pressure areas at 12. This is clearly depicted in theexploded view of FIGURE 2 showing the tubular openingsv of the hydrofoiland the flow of water and gas as indicated by broken lines aridarrows-therein. The function of this arrangement will be apparent tothose skilled in the art.' y The pressure is decreasedfbelow,thevpoint.ofimaximumamber off the hydrofoil as thevelocity of water flowinpipe increases,

thus acting as a pump in sucking out air and other gas molecules andfinally the water vapor molecules.

The decrease of pressure in chamber 4 thus induced results inatmospheric or other pressure forcing salt water through intake pipe 1thenthrough pipe 2 where it is sprayed into chamber 4 through apertures3 where,"

when the pressure and temperature factors are in proper relation to eachother, the salt water thus sprayed vaporizes, all of which w-ill beapparent to those skilled in the art. v

The water molecules are then drawn into the high velocity fresh watercirculating in constricted pipe 8 through tubular openings y12 ashereinbefore described, 1 and are assimilated and they thusk augment thevolume v of the fresh water owing through pipe 8 to pipe 9 and plained.Thus fresh water is forced from pipe 7 into pipe 10 and circulatedtherethrough to large pipe 9 as shown, and then downward into tank 5 ina continuous cycle. The purpose of this cycle of fresh water is toimpart some of the heat of the fresh water to the incoming salt water ina heat exchanging manner replenishing some of the heat given up by outerpipe 2 as the sprayed salt water is vaporized in chamber 4.

Flutter valve 17 is installed in pipe 1 for the purpose l of placing adrag in pipes 1 and 2 so that the pressure in chamber 4 may be loweredsuiiciently to properly vaporize incoming salt water of varyingtemperatures.`

Air vents at 18 installed for the purpose of aerating the l fresh waterproduced. Check valve 19 closes when the system stopsand thus preventswater from receding in pipe 7 and allows for easier restarting.

The work of pump 6 as well as the assimilation and condensation of watervapor in chamber 4 as previously described will tend to increase thetemperature of the fresh water circulatory system in tank 5. Pipe 1therefore'has vthe configuration shown soas to act as a heat exchanger,

fresh warm water in tank 5 imparting its heat to the cold incomingsaltwater, thus permitting vaporization in chamber 4 at higher pressuresas well as dissipating some of the excess heat.

The salt Water 11 at the bottom of tank 4 should, after i a period ofsteady operation, be comparatively cool and of pipe 2, so as to permitsalt water to be sprayed into chamber 4 as illustrated. Tank 5 containsfresh water, previously acquired, circulated by a pump 6 all as shown,drawing water from tank 5 upwards through large pipe 7 and theconstricted section lof pipe 8 across the top and length of chamber 4,into the enlarged section of pipeV therefore should be circulated inreservoir 15 through pipe 14 and extracted by pump 13 for the purpose ofcooling the usable reserve of fresh water in reservoir 15. Pump 13should maintain a steady, controlled and predetermined level of saltwater 11 in chamber 4.

It is believed that the operation and efficiency of this device andprocess will result in a more eil'icient low cost desalination systempermitting the recovery of fresh water from salt water and other brackshand swamp waters in a novel manner, departing from the methods of othersystems all of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It will be further appreciated and understood that an eflicicnt methodof extracting fresh or potable water from Patented Sept. 14, 1965 valt,` brackish and swamp watersvl at a low cost is the "sub- :ct ofWorld wide search and research.

It will be further understood'ithat changes in detail off nnstruction,arrangement andconbination 'of parts may e resorted to, provided they'fall within the spirit'ofth'e 5 lvention and the/scope of thefappendedclaims.

`1. A desalination system, comprisinga vessel 'for fresh 'atergan inletpipe for relatively cool saltwater extending tto said-vesseli-areceptacle within'said vessel; al perfotted 'conduit insaidreceptacleclosed at one end'and'- Jmmunicating' at its other'endfwithsaid inlet pipe',y ar eat exchanger` tube within saidI perforatedconduit hav- |g open ends extending outwardlyvof saidreceptacle andJmmunicatin'g with thelinterior of saidjvesselfsaid recep-'v tele'having `an upperY wall with :"aspirating means" incornrated therein; acirculatingl pump' in'said vessel arranged' i force fresh waterfronrsaidvcss'el-at highveloci'ty over tid aspiratingmeans to therebyreducethe pressure in" tid receptacle and to induceiow of: salt-waterthrough tidA inlet pipe for' dischargethrough"` saidperforations ndevaporation in'l said receptacle;` -said Ahigh vvel'ocityfr'eshi 'aterfurther condensingsaidt aspiratedv vaporsg'and to )rce` water fromsaidvesselthifoughsaid heat?exchange` lbe to increasetheterrinerature'ol'theE saltwater-inv said 25 erforated conduit to'further facilitateevporation fther'e'- f `z A desem/tation; system asgesammelt-simi; includlg anadjustab'le valve in' thesaltv'late'r`inlet'p'ipe for laintaining a resistance'to'theowfinduced'by theaspiratv-` 30.

llman's- Y 3. A desalination systemas'dened inclinrl, wherein the'aspirating` means comprises a hydrofoil surface over which the highvelocity stream of water is forced, and an opening ladjacent saidhydrofoil surface in which suction is induced bythe stream passing oversaid airfoil surface.

4. A desalination system as defined in claim 1, in r.which the saltwaterinlet pipe includes portions disposed within the vfresh water in saidvessel and`servi'ng as a heat exchanger.`

` 5. A desalination system as defined in claim 1, Lincluding means forwithdrawing salt water from said receptacle.

6. A desalination system as defined in-claim'l, including means forwithdrawingfresh water from the vessel.

References Cited .by the Examiner- UNITED STATES PATENTS NORMAN ,YUDKOFEPrimary Examiner. R. D. NEVIUS, GEORGE D. MITCHELL, A. D. SUL- LIVAN,Examiners.

1. A DESALINATION SYSTEM, COMPRISING: A VESSEL FOR FRESH WATER; AN INLETPIPE FOR RELATIVELY COOL SALT WATER EXTENDING INTO SAID VESSEL; ARECEPTACLE WITHIN SAID VESSEL; A PERFORATED CONDUIT IN SAID RECEPTACLECLOSED AT ONE END AND COMMUNICATING AT ITS OTHER END WITH SAID INLETPIPE; A HEAT EXCHANGER TUBE WITHIN SAID PERFORATED CONDUIT HAVING OPENENDS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND COMMUNICATING WITH THEINTERIOR OF SAID VESSEL, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING AN UPPER WALL WITHASPIRATING MEANS INCORPORATED THEREIN; A CIRCULATING PUMP IN SAID VESSELARRANGED TO FORCE FRESH WATER FROM SAID VESSEL AT HIGH VELOCITY OVERSAID ASPIRATING MEANS TO THEREBY REDUCE THE PRESSURE IN SAID RECEPTACLEAND TO INDUCE FLOW OF SALT WATER THROUGH SAID INLET PIPE FOR DISCHARGETHROUGH SAID PERFORATIONS AND EVAPORATION IN SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID HIGHVELOCITY FRESH WATER FURTHER CONDENSING SAID ASPIRATED VAPORS, AND TOFORCE WATER FROM SAID VESSEL THROUGH SAID HEAT EXCHANGE TUBE TO INCREASETHE TEMPERATURE OF THE SALT WATER IN SAID PERFORATED CONDUIT TO FURTHERFACILITATE EVAPORATION THEREOF.